249 years ago the Declaration of Independence enshrined the ideals of this nation: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal … with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
This country is imperfect, yet our home and worth celebrating. Loving something means fighting for it. Last month, I joined the defense of our public lands. Not once, but twice, a grassroots coalition emerged to protect our common spaces: hunters, anglers, ATVers, hikers, campers, conservationists, environmentalists—all rising for the same cause: “keep public lands in public hands.”
This culminated in the “We Love Public Lands Rally” outside the Western Governors Association meeting in Santa Fe, where Trump cabinet members were gathered. 2,000 people showed up at 3:30pm on a Monday to speak truth to power. Many, like me, took off work to make sure our heritage was protected. The next morning, the provisions were scraped.
Make no mistake: the enactment of the so-called Big, Beautiful Bill will set our nation back decades environmentally, let alone the moral cost of abandoning the least among us. It is hard to take joy from the present moment. But not all hope is lost. We can still fight for what is right and just. That is the American story.
During the BLM protests, my dad flew a BLM flag and an American flag on his porch. I asked why and he told me “if we aren’t fighting to make this country better, what are we even doing it for?” That stuck with me. Patriotism is recognizing what the authors of the Constitution set out: “We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union…”
Before the protests, viral reels talked about getting burner phones and covering yourself head-to-toe, deterring participation. For most of us, these were peaceful events. When you feel hesitancy—hesitancy to post, to speak up, to show up—ask yourself “Is this fear real?” Name it and take your power back.
For 249 years, this nation has rested on the ideal that “Governments … [derive] their just powers from the consent of the governed.” Democracy lives—and for that I have hope.